VOL. IV NO.5
May Meeting
Thursday, May 15, 6:00p.m.
Witte Museum courtyard
It's time for our annual pot-luck picnic! This year
we are also throwing in an auction. This is intend­ed
to be a fun-raiser for Audubon Adventures.
Some of the items which have already been
donated for the auction are: original art work, a
gourmet meal, a South Texas birding tour, and
bird-attracting plants for landscaping. There
should be something for everyone, so come on
out and help us raise some fun for Audubon
Adventures.
***Please note that we will start earlier than usual
in order to allow plenty of time for the picnic. For
more information, call Nora Driver at 826-8531.
A new Editor!
Welcome to Pat Honsberger, who will begin edit­ing
Bexar Tracks next month. Hurrah! M~terial for
the June newsletter should be sent to her by May
20 at:
P.O. Box 269
San Antonio, Tx 78291
Congratulations!
to Nora Driver, who has been elected Vice-Presi­dent
of Bexar Audubon Society to fill the position
recently vacated by Susan Rust.
g;acRs
PRESIDENT'S LETTER
Dear Members,
MAY, 1986
My message to you this month is brief but urgent.
I am writing in the wake of news of the tragic melt­down
of a nuclear power plant in the Soviet
Union. Early reports indicate that hundreds of
people may have been killed instantly by the out­of-
control nuclear reaction, and thousands more
may be seriously affected by acute radiation
exposure. The water supply of Russia's third lar­gest
city may be contaminated and unsafe for
consumption.
This tragedy, terrible though it is, pales in com­parison
to the effects of detonation of a single
nuclear warhead over a major metropolitan cen­ter.
As scientists of all persuasions continue to
study the matter, it is becoming increasingly clear
that nuclear war represents the ultimate environ­mental
threat. Human population pressure will
inexorably erode the environment and its natural
resources, but a nuclear war could terminate all
human existance in one glorious bang.
I urge you to take this opportunity to write Presi­dent
Reagan and ask him to: 1) offer U.S. medical
and technological assistance in overcoming this
disaster, and 2) use this incident as a springboard
for measures which will halt proliferation of the
world's arsenal of nuclear weapons. His address:
The President
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500
Begin your letter with:
Dear President Reagan
Perhaps the most difficult lesson of ecology is
that we are all brothers in this house we call Earth.
Sincerely,
Byron Stone, M.D.
CONSERVATION NEWS ... ..
NON-GAME STAMPS ... .. Once again, Bexar
Audubon will be selling the non-game wildlife
stamps at its general meetings in ordertosupport
this special program. TPWD will be selling stamps
at all State Parks and through a number of its
licensed agents, and Collector's CovAy will again
be selling limited edition art prints. No decals or
posters will be available. The subject this year is
the Attwater prairie chicken.
WILDFLOWER SCOUTS NEEDED ... Ifyou know
the wildflowers of your area and could spare a
little time to make a record of their occurences,
please write to the National Wildflower Research
Center, 2600 FM 973 North, Austin, TX 78725.
They will send you the forms and instructions.
AMAZING PRONGHORNS .. ... While many popu­lations
of mammals are showing drastic declines
in the wake of expanding human populations and
decreasing habitat, the American prong­horn
antelope has increased more than 3,000%
during the past 60 years!!!!!
THANKS TO ....
NANCY KENT, THELMA NUNGESSER, and
NORA DRIVER who were the prime coor­dinators
of Bexar Audubon's fun and successful
participation in this year's Viva Botanica. The 2-
day event was great fun for all who manned our
booth, and I guess that's thanks enough, but, any­way,
a special thanks to the many members who
qave some of their weekend time to promote the
cause of Audubon through this event.. ... Oh, by
the way, we netted over $120.00through seed and
shirt sales to support our work!!!
PAUL VORDENBAUM for a beautiful, fascinating
and very positive look at 'our' central Texas bats,
as well as those in other parts of the world.
SHERRY STONE for the special new look of
BEXAR TRACKS. She designed the masthead.
NOTES
BEXAR AUDUBON now has a new information
brochure. We think you'll approve. They will be
available at the general meetings or on request.
DR. MERLIN TUTTLE, Director of Bat Conserva­tion
International, has now relocated in Austin.
Welcome to Texas!
We need a couple of members who would like to
represent BEXAR AUDUBON at the meetings of
Audubon Council of Texas. It's a rewarding job;
doesn't require much time; is extremely important
Please call Byron Stone (699-1971) or Susan Rust
(826-4698) for more information.
COMING OUTINGS
THE PRAIRIE EXPERIENCE .... (May 16 - 18,
Susan Rust, 826-4698) This work and play week­end
is intended to be a celebration of one of the
most endangered habitats in North America- the
blackland prairie. The event will begin Saturday
morning in Paris, Texas, with an introduction to
prairies and group exploration of various aspects
of prairie flora, fauna and geology at Tridens prai­rie.
A number of experts will be on hand to expand
your habitat horizons and answer questions
about this most exciting and beautiful landscape.
The Tridens preserve committee hold this event
each year and folks from the area and around the
State gather to learn and enjoy. The prairies are
usually at their blooming best at this time of the
vear.
After lunch in town, and a little socializing, we'll
drive to the Texas Nature Conservancy's newest
acquisition, Clymer Meadow, where we will settle
in and do some repair work around the house
before sunset. A community supper and perhaps
some story - telling will cap the day. Sunday
morning will begin with a sunrise photography
prowl, followed by breakfast and some fence
removal work. The outing officially ends at noon.
If you haven't experienced spring in the prairies
of NE Texas you really won't want to miss the
opportunity. The wildflowers and the wild fauna
are not to be believed. Bring your cameras and
vour binoculars and prepare for a treat.
Participants will need to supply their own bed­ding,
and contribute to apartoftheon-sitemeals.
Sunday breakfast will be provided by the Texas
Nature Conservancy. Reservations for the over­night
are required, so be sure to call (512)
826-4698, and 'sign up'.
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AMAZING INSECT MOUTHS
Poems by Judy Braus
Insect mouths are amazing:
Some suck and some chew,
Some pierce and some sponge.
And some even slurp goo.
Each mouth is a tool
Used to help insects eat
Whatever they need,
Whether blood, plants, or meat.
We've picked out three insects.
Described all their foods.
Then drawn them as tools
Or as things people use.
Can you guess what they are
From the verses below?
(All three crazy insects
Are onc:~s that you know.)
1. My body is covered with
Scales, not with skin;
My mouth's like a straw.
Rouno. long, and thin;
I unroll this neat "tongue"
From under my chin.
Then I suck up some nectar
And roll it back in.
I am a----------
2. You'll find me in fields
Where it's leaves that I munch.
And if you should grab me
I'll spit up my lunch.
My jaws are like pliers
To chew. tear. and crunch,
And sometimes I'm a problem
'Cause I eat such a bunch.
I am a-----------
3. My mate sucks up nectar.
But I go for blood.
I'll get you in swamps
When you're tromping through mud.
My mouth· s like a needle.
As sharp as a pin,
And I'll suck up your blood
Through a hole in your skin.
I am a female --------
MAY CALENDAR
3-5 BIRDATHON '86 -Be sure you are apart
of this event Call Byron Stone, 699-1971
6-7 Symposium on Bottomland Hardwoods
- Nacogdoches. For mformation call
Susan Rust, 826-4698
8 SA Audubon general meeting 7:00 pm,
Witte Museum
9-11 Audubon Council Meeting - McKinney
For information call Byron Stone,
699-1971
15 SUPER FUN CHAPTER PICNIC AND
AUCTION!!! Witte Museum patio, 6:00pm
Don't miss it!
16-18 North Texas Prairies (BAS/NPSfrNC
Outing) Susan Rust, 826-4698
20 Sierra Club general meeting 7:30pm,
Unitarian Church
22 Bexar Audubon Board Meeting at the
home of Manuel Flores, 695-8103
27 Native Plant Society general meeting 7:00
pm, SA Botanical Center
BEXAR
AUDUBON
SOC I ElY
p 0 HOX r,OHi e SA:\ Ar-:TOI\:10. TEXAS 7 H20'J
JUNE CALENDAR
12 SA Audubon general meeting
14 Planting the Zoo (NPS/BAS Outing)
Patty Leslie, 824-1235/821-5115
17 Sierra Club general meeting
19 BEXAR AUDUBON general meeting
7:30pm. Witte Museum
22-26 1Oth North American Prairies
Conference at TWU in Denton
Susan Rust, 826-4698/Patty Leslie,
824-1235
26 BAS Board Meeting at the home of
Nora Driver, 826-8531
BEXAR AUDUBON SOCIETY
Officers and Board
Byron Stone, President
Nora Driver, Vice President
Russell Smith, Secretary
Thelma Nungesser, Treasurer
Manuel Flores,
Pat Honsberger
.Marge Flandermeyer
·sherry Stone
Committe Chairman
Outings, Jim Beall
Memberships, Bruce Makuk
Conservation, Judi Kroger
Finance, Starr Kavanagh
Education, Starr Kavanagh
Adopt-a-park, Bruce Makuk
Programs, Stu & Nettl Birnbaum
Judi Koger
I
699-1971
826-8531
734-7184
824-8199
695-8103
695-8294
684-2668
699-1971
657-9655
691-7351
647-3524
822-4827
822-4827
691-7351
697-8093
647-3524
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
U. S. POSTAGE
PAID
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
Permit No. 590
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